Sudden Weakness in arms

[Vasi]

In the last few months I have been getting a sudden weakness in both arms.  It comes on suddenly and lasts a maximum of 5 minutes.  When it happens I cannot lift anything.  I feel so weak that I have to sit or lie down until it passes.  This week it hit me twice.  Before these 2 incidents, the last time this happened was a month ago and before that was probably another month (2 times in a week).  The sensation is from the shoulders down to my hands.  Any ideas?

Thanks

[SPATH]

I have read that those medicines cause magnesium deficiency which affects muscles. It cant hurt to try it. I have heard some people got relief by taking a supplement

[DonnaRM]

No one has MS.. At least not with these symptoms. So rest assured. I've had these episodes, starting at biceps down to hands, exactly like everyone else. It is horrible. I have had them for about 5 years. But they come in spurts, maybe 4-6 at most in a year. My thyroid, BP, et all, are checked about every 6 weeks. All is well. BUT, I do have severe arthritis in my neck, and my neck is in tilted down position every day (computer,etc) so, you have all made me wonder if it IS a neck thing. Sorry that so many have this problem as it is very scary. Maybe this community will finally find an answer. God Bless and keep searching. We all need each other.

[EleaseDobbs]

I have had the same shoulders., both arms pain and weakness, they say I have RA. I can't text on my arms not sit up in the bed. I need several pillows for comfort

[kdsres]

This is known as Cervical radiculopathy. A pinched nerve in the neck and is treatable with physical therapy or  Chiropractic care. Get an MRI to be sure that is the cause, and not something else.

[Binney0802]

I had cervical radiculopathy in the past.  Resolved itself (at the time, I never believed it could or would ever resolve itself, but it did).  This is NOT that.  I have no pain, just the sudden extreme weakness and lightheadedness.

[DuchessofPercy]

Can't taste food as well either.

[DuchessofPercy]

Yes, these episodes started approx 2 months ago after I started taking 3 different meds:  all started 3 months ago... I went in with depression, fatigue, queasiness, dizziness, earache, frequent and long lasting headaches behind right eye, face flushing, excessive crying and general malaise.. I was guessing Menopause, accompanied by a toothache maybe. as I am 51 and my rhythms were wonky.  

I figured I would leave with some Estrogen Tabs maybe an antibiotic and call it a day.  

Doc didn't think it was Menopause.  I was put on Sertraline (Zoloft) 50mg... soon after the Zoloft they saw in my blood test results, I had perfectly normal blood work back except a very high cholesterol count (400) so, at my first follow-up, they put me on Atorvastatin (Lipitor) 80mg also during this visit I was complaining that the Zoloft seemed to make the queasiness worse and as before... Pepto and other Antacids didn't make a dent, but Travel Sickness pills seemed to take the edge off... and asked if my initial problem had to do with something wrong in my inner ear... Doc said probably not after peering into them... so Doc gave me a script for Omeprazole (Prilosec) 40mg for the dizziness and queasiness too.  

Since begining all these, in the last 3 months... I have had the sudden onset of these "heavy arms" and positively frightening fatigue (upper body only), migraine, light flashes, fever-like sweats during minimal effort, chest, eye and neck pain and the quesiness is still hanging around... seems the Prilosec isn't even helping anymore.

Due to the mention of dizziness and chest pains, had a stress test that went without a hitch.  ECHO was showing a perfectly healthy heart.  So now what... I have had insomnia since the age of 7, so I was sent to do a sleep study.  Found I have moderate to severe Sleep Apnea... was recommended I get a CPAP right away... have yet to get one as the paperwork has found a snag.  I was told by the sleep folks that I may need none of the meds and that the CPAP may make a new woman of me.  

During my wait for the machine, I told them about the "heavy arms" (Didn't have this symptom prior, that I recall) and she asked if I had injured my neck... not to my knowledge.  So, here we are.  Perhaps it IS a side effect of the Lipitor... I didn't have this problem before and wonder, now, why I went to the Doc's, as I feel worse now than I did before.  

BTW the Zoloft made me stop crying so much, stop caring about much, made me a bit scatterbrained with loss of concentration and I feel more tired than before.  I am not sure what symptoms are coming from where and caused by what anymore... It's hard to pinpoint any of them because they all came on the scene around the same time.  But maybe if you are experiencing this stuff and just started Lipitor maybe we have a link.

I am hyper-sensitive to many things, break out in rashes easily and have many allergies... perhaps this is an allergic reaction to Lipitor.  Lord knows, if anyone can be allergic to it, I'm your Huckleberry.

[foxtrotmom]

wish you all had the answer, I read the first comment and it was like I had written it. Today was my second episode, sudden pain and weakness in my shoulders traveling to my wrists, all in the tops of my arms, so probably not involving the artery which runs under the arm. Lasting 2-3 minutes and fading to nothing. I recently had a cardiac stent (days after the first episode so thought they were related). It is not lipitor RX since I just started that, thyroid medicines control my thyroid, I'm past menapause so not that and otherwise in good health. So what is this? More importantly what if I am driving the next time it happens, Why are there no warning signs. Wish I had the answer.

[JRCC]

It happended tome one time when I was driving, and all I did was relax and let it pass.  On the highway and not making any turns helped.